Discussing new ways to meet the needs of law firm clients, mediation parties, negotiators, and law students.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Student Bar Association: Honor Court (the Judicial Branch)

The Appalachian School of Law

Honor Court

The Honor Court serves as the Judicial Branch of the Student Bar Association (SBA).

The Honor Court consists of five members elected from, and by, each class of the law school, including two members from the rising 3-L class, two members from the rising 2-L class, and one member from the 1-L class.

The Chief Justice is the rising 3-L student receiving the most votes for the court.

Duties of the Honor Court

The Honor Court:

hears and considers all complaints properly brought before it;

notifies the Dean of the Law School, in writing, of a possible Honor Code violation and requests an investigation by the Dean;

makes a written determination, based on facts presented at a hearing, of each case brought before it;

after determining that an infraction of the Honor Code has occurred, makes a written recommendation to the Dean regarding the punishment of the student pursuant to the honor code;

immediately provides a written finding to the Dean of the Law School and the accused;

provides a written interpretation of the SBA Constitution upon written request of the President, the Senate, or any member of the SBA; and

upon finding a basis for a recount in any election pursuant to the Constitution, appoints a disinterested party from the faculty to witness a recount.

Based on my own personal experience, the Dean refers all alleged violations of the school's Honor Code to a 3-member panel of faculty. Students on the Honor Court are not making any binding findings or recommendations about alleged violations or punishments.

I understand that the Dean has asked the SBA to revise the Honor Code and its enforcement procedures.

If anyone has additional information about the Honor Court, please pass it along to me.

About Me

She helps people learn the skills they need to lead happier lives, solve problems effectively, and resolve conflict holistically with wisdom, skill, and heart.

The Virginia Mediation Network
(VMN), the largest statewide group of mediation practitioners, trainers, and
scholars gave her its first Distinguished Mediator Award in 2010. Who’s Who
in America recognizes her as among top
executives and professionals. Martindale-Hubbell
lists her as an AV-Rated Preeminent
Woman Lawyer with highest peer ratings for legal ability and ethics
(2002-2013).

She works as a Clinical Professor
of Law at Qatar University College of Law. She teaches legal research and writing, group facilitation, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, dispute resolution
system design, environmental dispute resolution, and insurance
practice.

Before
she joined academia, Prof. Young was a partner
in a St. Louis law firm -- McCarthy Leonard -- providing nearly 20 years of
experience as a commercial dispute litigator, mediator, and arbitrator
specializing in contract disputes, insurance, reinsurance, and energy law. Before that, Prof. Young practiced as an
associate in one of the largest law firms in the world - Skadden Arps – in its Washington, D.C. office engaged in an oil and
gas and public utility law
practice. She also worked in the Energy
Department of the largest law firm in
Oklahoma after graduating from law school.

Prof. Young has written over 50 law
review publications, book chapters, book reviews, and op-ed articles on
mediation, arbitration, insurance law, and energy law. Her
publications appear in law journals, bar journals, and at mediate.com.